"It isn't the mountains ahead that wear you out......"

"It isn't the mountains ahead that wear you out, it's the grain of sand in your shoe." Unknown

In the pursuit of happiness we all face certain challenges that threaten the very existence of our joy. It is important to realize it is not the mountain that will oppose us nearly as much as the grain of sand in our shoe. What is your grain of sand? Is it a feeling of unworthiness? Is it fear that you will never make it over your mountain? Is it sadness or despair of the acutest kind? Our perspective of our struggles has a great deal more to do with our ability to handle the situation, than the actual severity of the task at hand.

These past recent months have brought many new challenges my way, some unexpected some foreseen. In retrospect, I have ascertained that my emotional stress had little if anything to do with the actual "mountain" I was facing. My ability to overcome was in direct correlation to my mental perspective of the circumstance at hand. Samuel Grafton stated, " A penny will hide the biggest star in the Universe if you hold it close enough to your eye." What "penny" are you allowing to blind you from the grand possibilities of your existence here? No matter what the piece of "sand" is, it is not greater than the power you hold within you to overcome.

Now I want to be clear, it isn't that your emotions are invalid. There is no freedom in the denial of how we feel. Im not suggesting that you don't have a right to be scared about the mountain or the pebble. What I am advocating is that it is in our best interest to frequently practice acts that will lead to the release of disadvantageous thoughts and emotions. So in turn we will be prepared to face our challenges with the stamina and resources we need. How do we do this? Recently, with my heart in my hand I spent some time writing. I did not labor over words, I simply and freely wrote. When I was finished I read the words that had found there way from my soul to the page and was blown away by what had been revealed. I found myself, I found my sorrow, I found my truth. If you really want to have a finger on the pulse of your soul I would suggest journaling. With that release came a new sense of bravery and inner resolve.

To my esteemed readers who's mountain is cancer, my message to you is have compassion for yourself....Whatever you feel without self-judgement write it down. This is vital to your personal journey of growth. Give yourself the opportunity to take off your shoes and shake out the sand, so that you can step with confidence toward your future. Sometimes you'll need to take off your shoes a couple times a day, whatever you need to do to move forward do it. And if you want to be a part of a group of folks that are facing that same mountain, and who take frequent stops to take off their shoes, come see us at The Wellness Kitchen. We have journaling support groups here at your service and people you can talk to. We can provide the food you need to face the mountain and the support you need to reach your goals. And as always this is Sarah encouraging you to face your mountains with preparedness and eat peacefully...